Dry Falls Visitor Center Due to the Fact That Many Travelers Saw These Unusual Landforms in the Landscape As They Drove the Coulee Corridor

Interactive Design Approach Immersive Theater Topo Model

The design approach for the exhibits is closely integrated with the Seating architecture. The layering of massive, linear building walls pro- for 50-60 Exhibit vides a direction for the design and layout of exhibit components. Gallery Real ‘Today’ erratic Outdoor Terrace Building walls are cut open at strategic points to accommodate with Exhibits specific exhibits and to allow for circulation. Smaller, wall-panel exhibits are used for supports and dividers. Equipment ‘Volcanic ‘Ice Age Floods’ Room Period’

Approaching the center, visitors are forced to walk around a massive erratic – these huge boulders are seemingly deposited directly Gallery Animal Modelled erratic Lava flow overhead Freestanding time line animal cutouts on the path to the front door. The displaced rock serves as a strong Welcome in floor icon of the violent events that occurred during the Ice Age Floods. Through the Visitor Center’s front doors, visitors are startled to see another massive erratic precariously wedged overhead between W M Retail / cafe the two parallel building walls. Just out of reach it makes an unusual photo opportunity for visitors who puzzle over how the rock terrace stays in place. From an interpretive standpoint, it is important to Outdoor Classroom realize no actual erratics are present in the Sun Lakes-Dry Falls with Amphitheater State Park landscape. During the floods, water was moving too quickly for erratics to be deposited at Dry Falls - they were car- ried downstream and deposited in the Quincy and Pasco basins many miles away. However, the results of the visioning workshop determined that erratics are an important and exciting flood fea- ture to display at the Dry Falls Visitor Center due to the fact that many travelers saw these unusual landforms in the landscape as they drove the Coulee Corridor. An interpretive panel including information about erratics provides visitors an opportunity to learn about what they have seen and how these landforms fit into the IAF story.

The linear layout of the building naturally directs visitors toward the edge of the escarpment. Two parallel walls form a long gallery, flanked on one side by an animal timeline. A graphic tells the chronological story of the region, accompanied by full-size cutouts representing some of the more surprising inhabitants of the land before and after the floods. Visitors will be startled to see represen- tations of mammoths, giant sloths and camels. Example of Welcoming Desk Gallery Exhibit

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission 3737 The theater is the first stop on many visitors’ explorations of the Unique, World Class Resource Another version of this initiative includes creating a virtual trail, center. The building walls seem to give way to natural outcrop- consisting of road maps, interpretive centers and roadside exhibits. pings that envelop the seating area. In front of the benches, the This trail would allow everyone — individual cities, public parks, Dry Falls is one of the great geological wonders of the world. rockwork is split open to reveal a distant view of sky and land- Tribes, highway agencies, educational institutes and interested Carved by the massive Ice Age floods, the former waterfall is now scape. A rear projection screen fills the gap in the rock and is used landowners — to tell and teach the public a unified story in a co- a stark reminder of the cataclysmic events of times past. In its to illustrate the geological events that lead to the final catastrophic ordinated way. time, the 400-foot cliff and 3.5-mile wide waterfall was four times deluge. Special effects may include water spray, fleeing animals the size of Niagara Falls. Today it overlooks a desert oasis filled and tumbling rocks that appear from behind layers of scrim, the- Tour routes follow the flood route and include thirteen “gateway with lakes and abundant wildlife. atrical lighting and a massive sound system that shakes the bones communities” from Missoula, Montana to Astoria, Oregon. Dry of visitors. Falls has been suggested to be the key interpretive center, serv- This world class natural resource is under utilized, as Dry Falls, and ing as a “hub” to generate interest and provide information on floods that created them remain largely unknown to the general As visitors progress further into the building, they emerge from other IAF interpretive resources along the trail. Interpretation of public. The Ice Age floods are a remarkable part of our natural the darker, dramatically lit theater experience into a naturally-lit different parts of the flood story should be allocated appropriately heritage having profoundly affected the geography and ways of exhibit gallery. This space is dominated by a contour map, which along the trail and throughout the region. life in the region. To accomplish the goals as stated in WSPRC’s uses internal LED lighting and monitors to illustrate the flow of ice mission to use State Parks to convey the legacy of the floods, each and water, as well as changes in vegetation and settlement across Coulee Corridor National Scenic Byway park project will have it’s own unique opportunities and challenges the landscape of the region. Around this interactive topographic Washington State Parks is engaged in a continued dialog with the which require unique innovative design solutions. The DFVC area model, the building walls are cut away to accommodate a volcano Coulee Corridor National Scenic Byway to determine how best to design project has made great strides to meet these challenges cross-section that seems to draw its fiery contents from the floor of enhance travelers’ experiences without impacting the visual qual- and is poised provide a world class experience for all who visit this the Center. Smoke, ash and other effects are animated on a large ity or natural resources of the Byway. These organizations and amazing resource. monitor beyond the cone as the exhibit cycles through one erup- other partners will continue to collaborate to develop strategies tion after another. Internally-lit, sculpted glass fills another gap in to interpret and conserve what is special, while at the same time the building wall representing the massive ice dams that eventu- Partnerships promote its use and enjoyment. ally broke and let loose the torrents of water. Fossils – large and dramatic, as well as small and precious – are set into the earthen Through the planning and development of improvements Sun National Park Service walls throughout the building. Lakes-Dry Falls State Park, WSPRC has a tremendous opportunity The Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail legislation before Con- to create new, mutually beneficial partnerships with a range of or- gress would be overseen by the National Park Service. This over- The end wall of the exhibit gallery is completely glazed, allowing ganizations as part of the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. sight role and the complementary mission and goals of both park large amounts of natural light to spill in, providing visitors with services make them natural partners. spectacular views of the landscape and the falls. From this vantage Congress has passed legislation to create an Ice Age Floods Na- point, they can see a continuation of the animal timeline extending tional Geologic Trail that would follow the Ice Age Floods route. Ice Age Floods Institute outside with steel cutouts of contemporary animals grazing near the The proposed 600-mile geological trail would include interpretive The Ice Age Floods Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated precipice edge. On the opposite side, another line of silhouetted centers and roadside pullouts with signs and markers interpreting to the authoritative presentation of the story of the floods. It is a cutouts represent recent and current human inhabitants. Interpre- the flood sites. tremendous intellectual and scientific resource. tive panels on the terrace and the trail are also visible from this vantage point, inviting visitors to continue their exploration outdoors.

Dry Falls Visitor Center Area Design 38 1. Connell Local Resources 2. Othello The Park staff have already begun organizing outdoor events that 3. Columbia National Wildlife Refuge will build community and attract visitors. For example, Flood Days 4. Potholes State Park is a week long festival of local events. Several site improvements, 5. Moses Lake such as an outdoor interpretive gathering area, picnic area, shade 6. Rocky Ford Creek Wildlife Site structures, wind buffers as well as a noise barrier from the highway traffic would greatly enhance the Park’s ability to host events. 7. Glacial Erratics 8. Ephrata Cultural History 9. Soap Lake The Dry Falls site was likely a resource gathering site for the Colville 10. Lake Lenore Caves and/or Yakama Tribes in times past. This interpretation should be 11. Lenore / Alkai Lake Wildlife Refuge undertaken in full partnership with the groups whose history is 12. Blue Lake Rest Area being interpreted. During the visioning workshop a representative 13. Sun Lakes State Park from the Colville Tribes expressed the Tribes’ desire to interpret 14. Dry Falls Interpretive Center their own history in a comprehensive manner. Their history could 15. Coulee City Marina and Park be briefly interpreted at Dry Falls, where visitors could be directed 16. Banks Lake to other tribal museums for further interpretation. 17. The Grand Coulee 18. Million Dollar Mile 19. Steamboat Rock State Park 20. Northrup Canyon Eagle View site 21. Electric City 22. North Dam Park 23. Grand Coulee 24. Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area 25. Coulee Dam 26. Belvidere 27. Root Diggers 28. Tribal Headquarters 29. Nespelem 30. Coyote Creek Rest Area and Campground 31. Ice Box Canyon 32. Disautel Pass 33. St. Mary’s Mission Monument 34. Omak Visitor Center 35. Okanogan

Map: http://www.acctts.com/whatsahead/coulee%20tear%20sheet%20map.pdf Coulee Corridor Consortium: http://www.couleecorridor.com

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission 3939 Interpretive Experience

Highway Approach Highway travelers heading both north and south will see highway signage alerting them to a coming attraction - the Dry Falls Visi- tor Center in Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park. This signage will be prominent and repeated several times, advising potential visitors of the distance to the Visitor Center. As they drive toward the Center, visitors will also see sign inviting them to tune in to hear a 6 to 8 minute radio informational “teaser” about Dry Falls and IAF. (The park will be installing low-frequency radio towers that can broadcast to highway travelers.)

Arrival Existing Depression-Era Gazebo At the entry to the Dry Falls Visitor Center site, drivers heading south will use a pullout lane to turn left. Travelers heading north will simply turn right as they approach the new Dry Falls entry sign informing them they have arrived at the Dry Falls Visitor Center. Once visitors have arrived, they can leave their vehicles to head straight for the restrooms, or if they feel they have more time, they can investigate nearby interpretive elements – the historical

Depression Era structures and new interpretive panels telling the Example of Shade Structure story of the Dry Falls site. Some visitors may opt to stretch their legs and explore the trails before heading in to the Visitor Center.

Ambient Sound from Highway While the nearby highway has the benefit of bringing many visitors to the doorstep of the Park, it also creates background noise which can be heard throughout the Visitor Center site. This sound can be mitigated by bermed landscaping, site walls and planting.

Historic Architecture The historic architecture at the Dry Falls includes the existing Visitor Center, a gazebo, chain guardrails and stone bollards built during the Great Depression. From an interpretive perspective, the existing Visitor Center presents a range of challenges ranging from accessibility to visitor capacity. The extensive changes that would be required to retrofit the building into an effective Visitor Center Example of Entry Signage would compromise its architectural and historic integrity. Example of Shade Structure

Dry Falls Visitor Center Area Design 40 Dry Falls Visitor Center

Visitors arrive at the Dry Falls Visitor Center with a variety of goals in mind. Many wish to use the restrooms, find out more about the area and peruse the gift shop. Others have had their curiosity piqued by word-of-mouth recommendations, guidebooks, the Parks’ radio broadcasts or even the view from the parking lot.

Entry As visitors approach the new interpretive center, they are surprised to see a large boulder nearby. This “haystack”, or erratic, rock repre- sents the many boulders deposited by the Ice Age Floods and is the first of many surprises setting the tone for the visit. Modelled erratic Visitors entering the Center see a friendly face at the welcome overhead desk. Nearby, they discover the interpretive opportunities available to them in the four-state Ice Age Floods Corridor. Vacationers can take advantage of the trip planning expertise at the volunteer- staffed help desk and a range of brochures (ideally available in French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Russian). Other interpretive and planning resources, including websites and com- puter interactive exhibits, allow visitors to create tailor-made trip Illuminated plans that will allow them to explore other Ice Age Flood sites and lava flow other areas of interest in the region. in floor Visitors are also attracted to local interpretation featuring evoca- tive photographs and Audio/Visual (AV) inviting visitors to “go down below” to the Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park. Many are fas- Animal cinated by the “dangers out there”, ranging from rattlesnakes to timeline scorpions and black widow spiders, and coincidentally learn about cutouts safety and conservation issues.

Visitors may also be attracted to the timeline of large prehistoric creatures proceeding down the wall. They may want to pose for a photograph under the suspended erratic, making sure to capture Reception desk a large animal with them!

THE GALLERY

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission 4141 Theater Visitors enter an immersive theater to witness tens of thousands of years of the Northwest’s history in a short film.

Spectacular images, sweeping overviews, vivid storytelling and Modelled animals superb animation are united by a dramatic musical score to com- appear from behind municate the epic tale of the Ice Age Flood events. Visitors are theatrical scrim further immersed in the flood as the whole theater appears to be submersed and floods appear to surge by them. (This is achieved through theatrical lighting and by having images of water and boulders race past the visitors on scrims suspended at the sides of the theater, from front to rear.)

Fire. Beginning about 17 million years ago and continuing over a period of more than 11 million years, a fiery period of volcanic activity Rear projection pours lava over the landscape. These massive basalt flows, each hun- of flood images dreds of feet thick, spread across thousands of square miles, stretch- ing from the Bitterroot Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

Ice. Mile-thick glaciers began to form approximately 2.6 million years ago as the climate cooled. The ice later retreats during periods of climatic warming, unleashing a series of cataclysmic floods sometime Modelled within about the last million years or so ago. rockwork and debris During these periods of spectacular flooding, glacial dams near present day Missoula, Montana break apart, releasing an inland sea. The faces of present-day Washington and Oregon are torn open and carved out by what geologists believe was the greatest moving body of water in the Earth’s history.

Bench seating for 50-60 visitors

Dry Falls Visitor Center Area Design 42 Volcanic Period A Mystery. The evidence: enormous river canyons, titanic ripple Interpretive Galleries marks, boulder-strewn valleys, and the dry foundations of the Icon Two galleries tell the story of the Ice Age floods and their after- world’s largest waterfall – far from any source of water. The solution: Ice Age Floods math. The first gallery, the Fire and Ice Gallery, interprets the geo- a catastrophic flood. J Harlen Bretz proposed this solution in 1923, logical story from volcanoes to Ice Age floods. The second gallery, igniting a debate that continued for nearly half a century. Icon the Legacy of the Floods Gallery, interprets the cultural and natural history legacies of the floods. Today. Sweeping panoramic overviews and fly-overs of the Ice Age Interactive Topographical Flood route create a sense of wonder and awe. Visitors recognize Map Exhibit Today some of the geological features sculpted by the almost unimagi- nable floods and become curious about the amazing wildlife that is adapted to these spectacular habitats. They are inspired to go Icon out and discover more.

Illuminated representation of water volume suspended overhead

Views out to the falls

Interactive topo map

The gallery is anchored by a large, dramatic interactive topographical map. This central, interactive exhibit is surrounded by these content areas: Volcanic Period, Ice Age, The Floods and Today. Other topic areas could also be added, or changed over time, offering opportunities to add novelty, drama Monitors with and activities that encourage self-directed exploration. spin browser

Immersive Theater

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission 4343 Cutouts of Fire & Ice Gallery contemporary Visitors exiting the theater head straight for the Fire and Ice Gal- animals outdoors lery to discover more about the Northwest’s history of fire and ice.

The gallery is light and airy, with an organic feel. Large icons and geological landforms (ranging from cross-sections of the earth to spewing Core volcanoes) add excitement, energy and create a sense of mystery as samples visitors become curious about what is located out of sight.

Visitors are immediately drawn to the large, dramatic topographic model exhibit in the center of the gallery. This three-dimensional interactive map provides visitors with a bird’s eye view of the enor- Illuminated model mity of the floods as they rage toward the ocean. Visitors use of glacial depth spin browsers to accelerate or slow time, or to investigate topics of interest to them – their choices will be shown on large “slave” screens suspended from the ceiling.

Sabre-tooth tiger scull embedded in wall

Interactive topo map

Dry Falls Visitor Center Area Design 44 Visitors are attracted to what appears to be a spewing volcano that symbolizes the Miocene’s volcanic history 20 million years ago. Here they discover the magnitude of the lava flows – 6,000 feet in depth, covering 200,000 square miles. They interact with hands-on exhibits that allow them to explore the properties of co- lumnar and pillow basalt. They also encounter fossils, artifacts and images of the flora and fauna of the period, including ginkgos, giant ground sloths, elephants, miniature horses, and camels. A Rear projected images of smoke, ash, three-dimensional model of the Blue Lake baby rhinoceros proves projectiles and text fascinating to all.

The Ice Age is symbolized by a wall of ice. Seeing connections to today’s global climate change, visitors are captivated by the waxing and waning of the ice sheets. Mechanical interactive ex- Cross-section hibits allow visitors to see up-close how ice sheets scoured the model of volcano land and formed glacial moraines and ice dams. The formation of the Ice Age flood route is explored and various geological curiosi- ties from erratics to high water markers are revealed through real, local and interactive exhibits. Visitors enjoy touching and testing geological specimens and learning how to identify different specimens in the field.

Visitors also come face-to-face with an enormous and deadly looking skull of a sabre-toothed tiger and become familiar with the strange looking fauna of the time, from short-faced bears to woolly mammoths and dire wolves.

Telling the Native American Story The Native American story will be featured in the Dry Falls Visi- tor Center. All indigenous interpretation will be developed in full collaboration with the Tribes whose story is being told. Native American interpretation will focus on how the lives of indigenous peoples were affected by consequences of the Ice Age Floods. Illuminated lava flow in floor Visitors will discover how Native Americans successfully lived in this extraordinary landscape of lakes, rivers, coulees, buttes, dry cataracts, boulder fields, gravel bars and rich soils.

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission 4545 Legacy of the Floods Visitors entering the Legacy of the Floods exhibit area begin to see some familiar sights – human influenced landscapes and people! Remembering their theater experience, many visitors are eager to find out more about the Great Ice Age Flood Debate and how J Harlen Bretz created his flood theory. They quickly become immersed in the process of scientific discovery as they engage with an interactive exhibit that challenges them to assess the evidence of the flood and create their own theories.

Others are keen to discover how Native Americans lived here and interpreted the land. They are mesmerized by the petroglyphs and myths, and fascinated by the variety and range of stone tools and plant usages. All visitors are encouraged to visit other Tribal interpretive centers to discover more.

Others are amazed to learn that the legacy of the flood is still strong today, determining our settlement patterns, and how we use and live on the land today. Visitors can enjoy viewing historical photographs and reading journals from times past.

Dry Falls Visitor Center Area Design 46 Retail Visitors browse through the gift shop looking for resources that will provide them with a deeper understanding of the Ice Age Floods and its natural history and cultural legacies. .Many visitors search for guidebooks that will allow them to explore more on their own. Others seek souvenirs for friends and family at home.

Younger visitors look for something fun that they can afford – and that their parents hope will keep them entertained in the car. Snacks and beverages can be purchased in an adjacent cafe, where an outdoor seating terrace for eating and respite can provide an additional opportunity to take in the view.

The sales through the gift shop and cafe is the revenue genera- tor that supports the interpretive program at the Dry Falls Visitor Center. It is vitally important that the gift shop be designed and allocated with sufficient resources to fulfill this crucial role.

Site and Outdoor Interpretation Visitors can explore the site either before they enter the Visitor Center or afterwards. They can enjoy a short walk to explore the historic legacy, and farther a field onto trails enriched by unobtru- sive graphic panels, which interpret everything from cultural and natural history to geological events as desired.

Hands-on or touchable exhibits are scattered along the trail, providing visitors with insights about of the area, its flora and fauna, and its history. Benches and naturally blended shelters provide protection from the weather – sun, rain and wind – may also be situated in strategic spots, including places with excellent views of Dry Falls.

Example of Outdoor Exhibit Panels

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission 4747